Puppy Love
by Astra H. Lowelle
Summary: Rose Weasley and her friends are staying back for break in Hogwarts- and a certain somebody is well aware of this.
1. Part the First

"Bye, Tess!" Rose called as she waved to her friend trundling off in the carriages toward Hogsmeade Station. "See you in a week! Enjoy break!"

It was winter break, and though Rose's parents were perfectly capable of having her home with Hugo, Rose had written that she would prefer to stay at Hogwarts with her cousins and friends. James, Albus, and Lily were staying at Hogwarts as well, because their father was off on Auror business and their mother was going with Grandma Weasley to visit Uncle Charlie.

"Want to get inside now, Rosie?" James asked, mock-politely. "I'm freezing."

"Ditto," added Albus.

"Me too!" put in Lily.

"I get it," Rose sighed. "I just wanted to say goodbye to my friends. Is that all right with you?"

"Girls," Albus sighed theatrically as he led the way up the sloping lawn. Rose shoved him, and he lost his balance, tumbling to the snowy lawn.

"You can go ahead. I'll be there soon."

James grinned, waved at Rose, and set off toward the castle, Albus and Lily in tow. With one final wave to Rose, Tess's carriage disappeared from view.

"Guess that's it," Rose murmured to herself. She turned around as was about to follow her cousins up to the castle when something caught her eye.

It was very pale, just like the snowflakes that had begun to fall thickly all around her, but wasn't snow. It was a sort of quivering lump, trembling and pulsating, with bits of dark stuff sticking on it.

Rose went closer.

A small dog with just the tiniest amount of blond in its white coat lay huddled on the ground, its fur matted with dirt and twigs and blood. Its eyes were half-closed, its scrawny little body shivering in the frigid air, its small paws scrabbling weakly in an attempt to right itself.

"Oh," Rose said softly, bending down beside it. "You poor thing!"

The dog panted for breath, its tail wagging weakly as Rose touched its soft nose, allowing it to smell her hand. "What happened to you?"

The dog didn't respond. Rose petted its head, looking into its eyes.

"You need food," she told it. "And to warm up. Only trouble is, the only pets we're allowed to have are cats and owls and toads. And you aren't a toad, are you?"

The dog wagged again, weaker than the first time. A flash of inspiration hit Rose.

"Hagrid!" she said loudly. The dog startled. "Sorry," she went on, in a softer voice. "But I've just thought of it. We can take you to Hagrid's. He can look after you."

The dog didn't seem to have a problem with this, so Rose removed her scarf, wrapped the dog in it, and lifted the whole bundle into her arms as she made her way down to Hagrid's cabin.


	2. Part the Second

"Hello, Rosie," Hagrid greeted her as he ushered her inside. "Break's just started, then?"

Rose nodded. "Hagrid, I-"

"What've yeh got there?" Hagrid interrupted, peering down at the bundle in Rose's arms. "Is that an animal?"

"It's a dog," Rose explained. "I just saw it. It was lying in the snow all alone, and it didn't look like it belonged to anyone, so I took it. Would you be able to take care of it?"

Hagrid unwrapped the little dog, which sneezed. Rose laughed as he carefully began untangling the twigs from its sandy coat.

"Good boy," he murmured. "He's tame, innee?"

Rose smiled. Hagrid tugged at a particularly stubborn twig, and the dog whimpered. Rose tensed.

"My fingers are too big," Hagrid said regretfully. "Yeh migh' be able to help this little one, Rose. Just take 'im up to yer dormitory, and-"

"We're not allowed dogs, Hagrid," Rose said uncomfortably. "I wish I could, but-"

"Tell anyone who asks that I gave yeh permission," Hagrid smiled. "Care of Magical Creatures project."

"Magical?" Rose asked skeptically. Hagrid just laughed.

"Yeh can use warm water an' dittany to stop the bleedin'," he instructed. "Tell James an' the others I say hello."

Rose promised she would, and left the cabin, the little dog wrapped in her now-dirtied scarf.

"If nothing else, you're magically cute," Rose told the dog as she reached the castle. "Very magical, if you ask me. What am I going to call you?"

The dog did not offer any ideas, but he did wag his tail a little, within the confines of the scarf. Rose laughed.

"You're pretty perky," she told him. "Perky? Is that a good name?"

The dog yawned.

"Not so much, huh. How about Snowflake?"

The dog blinked sleepily.

"Tough customer. Hmm... how about Quicksilver? For the color of your eyes?"

If a dog could be said to nod, this one did. Rose laughed. "I can call you Silver for short. Come on, let's get to the common room so I can get you cleaned up a little. Wait until James and Al and Lil see you!"


	3. Part the Third

"Hey, Rose!" called James, from his armchair near the fire of the nearly empty common room. "What have you got there?"

"Quicksilver," Rose replied, throwing off her cloak and coming over to where her cousins sat. "He's a dog I found near the forest."

"He's so _cute_!" Lily cooed, reaching out to pet the dog, who closed his eyes as she fondled his soft ears.

"He's so _dirty_ ," Albus rejoined, wrinkling his nose. "Is that _blood_ on him? And when was the last time he had a bath?"

"Shut up," Rose responded automatically. "I just need to clean him up a little. Lil, want to hold him for a bit?"

 _"Yes,"_ Lily agreed happily. Rose handed her the dog and left.

She returned a few minutes later with a mug of hot water and a little bottle of dittany. "From my potion-making kit," she explained, sitting down in the last vacant armchair. "Come here, Quicksilver."

Lily passed her the dog, and Rose gently rolled it onto its side as she uncorked the bottle of dittany. Her cousins watched interestedly as she began to dab dittany onto the scratches in the tawny coat, using hot water to untangle and clean the matted fur.


	4. Part the Fourth

Scorpius was having a very enjoyable winter break.

The ingredients for the potion to turn human into animal had been 'borrowed' from the store cupboards, and the recipe had been obtained from a very old library book that made Madam Pince scowl suspiciously at him when he'd taken it out. But no matter.

His parents had been rather annoyed when he'd written to tell them he's be staying in Hogwarts over break, but that issue had been resolved relatively quickly when he'd told them he wanted to use the break to catch up on schoolwork.

His friends had thought he was crazy, but then again, _they_ weren't the ones lying on Rose Weasley's lap while she ran her fingers through their hair.

Or in Scorpius's case, fur.

Sure, the spell to appear thinner had stung a little bit on casting, and rolling around the mud and twigs of the Forbidden Forest to get his fur dirty and bloody had been painful, and Hagrid's probing fingers had hurt, but on the whole, it had been worth it.

Besides, Rose was taking care of the dirt and mud.

With the softest, gentlest fingers any injured puppy could possibly ask for.

Quicksilver yawned and rolled over a little so Rose could reach his other side. The warmth of the fire was making him sleepy, and he knew full well that Rose would think it was adorable if he fell asleep on her lap.

And she had called him 'magically cute'!


End file.
